IRFCA Mailing List Archive
Messages 5001 - 5020
From: Shankar <>
Subject: (no subject)
Date: 12 Jan 1999 06:58:16 -0500
Hello,
I'm most awfully sorry, but my mail reg. Jumbo WDM/2s, WAP/5 and WDM/2
roof panels seems to have gone out twice, thrice and four times due to
some technical error.
I certainly didn't mean to rub it in!
Please delete the excess messages when they get to your mailbox.
Sorry for any inconvenience.
Shankar
From: Apurva Bahadur <>
Subject: We are back from Wankaner
Date: 12 Jan 1999 07:33:42 -0500
Gang !
Just back from Wankaner - Morbi - Dahinsara - Maliya Miyana -
Gandhidham. Too tired to
talk now, but we (Viraf, Sarosh, Shrinivas and me) have exposed a lot of
footage on
the last YP and YGs in India. As a bonus, I have 1 1/2 hour of YP/YG
sounds on tape
which would be uploaded on the net in the MP3 format.
Full tour report and pics coming up in a day, in the meanwhile start
planning your
trip to WNK - it is a once in a life time opportunity for the next six
months only !
Apurva
From: Apurva Bahadur <>
Subject: [Fwd: Do you like smoke?
Date: 12 Jan 1999 07:53:03 -0500
Gang,
The Wormald open is a contest about the smokiest Alco (WDM1,WDM 2, YDM 4
and all
varients) picture. Surely India can do better than this. Have a look at
the page
listed below.
Apurva
Philip Wormald wrote:
> Take a look at the HOTTEST page on the net! Can any add to it?
>
> <A HREF="http://www.celorio.com/ferro/wormald/participa/participa.html">http://www.celorio.com/ferro/wormald/participa/participa.html</A>
>
> Cheers
> Phil
> PWormald@alco.email
From: Balasubramanian, Vijay <>
Subject: Re: new Rajdhani.
Date: 12 Jan 1999 08:16:32 -0500
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dheeraj Sanghi [mailto:dheeraj@cse.email
> Sent: Tuesday, January 12, 1999 7:10 AM
> To: dheeraj@cse.email irfca@cs.email
> vbalasubramanian@noblestar.email
> Subject: RE: new Rajdhani.
>
>
> Vijay, I am surprised by your mail. Let me warn you
> that you are not going to like the following mail.
No problem. Everyone is entitled to their opinion :-)
When they can introduce dozens of Rajdhanis and Shatabdis from Delhi to
every village in India, what's wrong if Varanasi gets a couple of them.
Note that Varanasi is one of the few major cities that does not have an
exclusive superfast train to Delhi (even Allahabad has one - Prayagraj
Exp.)
Don't you think Varanasi is important enough to have one?
Frankly, a Delhi-Guwahati train via Moradabad-Lucknow-Varanasi-Ballia is
a
good idea but a Rajdhani-type train is a waste. Since there is no
high-speed section in this route a regular superfast train would have
done
the job. It is odd that Varanasi now gets its first direct train to
Barauni/New Jalpaiguri/Guwahati but people have to pay higher fares just
because of the Rajdhani stamp.
> > Would cater to folks from the intermediate stations.
>
> Vijay, you are the strongest critic when they add Allahabad
> or Mathura as a stop on the route of Howrah Rajdhani or the
> Mumbai Rajdhani.
Adding halts to Rajdhani trains is "ok" if the station is big enough to
warrant a Rajdhani train. The Allahabad halt makes sense; the Mathura
halt
doesn't.
>You also wonder why the Trivandrum Rajdhani
> is so much slower, or why Bhubaneswar Rajdhani goes via
> Howrah. It could have saved an hour or two if it had gone via
> Adra/KGP.
When did I say that?! I have no problems with either the TVC or the
B'neswar Raj. The latter's route via Howrah makes sense since it
maximally
utilizes high-speed sections. Rerouting it via Adra/KGP would actually
increase the time.
> But you don't seem to have any problems with Patna
> Rajdhani and the new Guwahati Rajdhani even though they take
> such a long route. Sorry to be personal, but it seems to
> me that the new Rajdhani is acceptable to you even though
> it is slower by over 4 hours, since it touches Varanasi.
I tend to agree with you here. These two Rajdhanis deviate from the
norm
and are really meant for Bihar. IMHO, a better Rajdhani connection
would
have been N.Delhi-Kanpur-Lucknow-Varanasi-Dhanbad-Asansol-Howrah.
Besides
being faster than the N.Delhi-Howrah Rajdhani via Patna, it would
connect
more cities on its way.
>
> This argument of catering to intermediate stations can be
> taken to any extreme. Why should south-bound Rajdhanis not
> stop at Agra and Gwalior. Aren't these important cities.
To repeat, intermediate stations should be catered to depending on their
importance. I am also puzzled that an important halt such as Agra is
ignored by both Tamilnadu and Rajdhani. Atleast, one of these should
stop
here.
>
> Rajdhani trains are supposed to provide fast end-to-end connections.
> 90% of the passengers travelling on a typical Rajdhani are between
> New Delhi and the other endpoint. One must cater to these 90%
> more than an odd passenger who might like to travel by Rajdhani
> from an intermediate station. I can guess that Balia would have
> a quota of 2 berths on this train. In order that 2 passengers
> from Balia can save a couple of hours in reaching Guwahati
> (otherwise they would have to come to Patna and then take Rajdhani),
> you are justifying delaying 500 passengers by over 4 hours,
> and not only that, you are also justifying overcharging these
> 500 passengers because Railways takes them on a longer route.
Point well taken. Four hours is too much of a gap, couple of hours
would
have been ok.
>
> In my opinion the Rajdhani trains must travel to their
> destination by the fastest route, and stop at the minimum
> number of intermediate stops. The stops should only be for
> technical reasons like change of crew, change of loco, loading
> food stuff, etc., and of course, if they have to stop anyway
> for technical reasons, they may pick up some passengers as well.
More importantly a Rajdhani/Shatabdi train should be introduced ONLY if
a
regular superfast train cannot do the job. In other words, any
Rajdhani/Shatabdi that does not go beyond 110 kmph. is a waste. This
includes the following -
Shatabdis: from Delhi to Ajmer, Dehra Dun, Chandigarh, Kalka, Amritsar
Howrah-Raurkela, Chennai-Coimbatore and Chennai-Mysore
Mumbai-Pune
Rajdhanis: Delhi-Jammu, Delhi-Ahmedabad,
the new Delhi-Guwahati via Moradabad-Lucknow
IMHO, it is ok to have a Rajdhani that goes via a longer route if the
extra
time is a small percentage of the fastest run time and there are
important
stations on the longer route. For example, the N.Delhi-Patna-Howrah
Rajdhani takes about 2 hrs. more than the one via Gaya (about 6% extra
time)
whereas the Patna Rajdhani takes about 2 1/2 hrs. more than the
Rajdhanis
via Mughalsarai (about 20% extra time)
>
> Does there have to be a Rajdhani type train from
> every city to every other city ?
>
No, but IR believes that Delhi should have all these Rajdhanis and
Shatabdis
whereas Mumbai, Calcutta and Chennai can make do with a few of them.
>There is no train
> from Unnao and Unchahar also. May be Rajdhani should
> go from Lucknow-Unnao-Unchahar-Allahabad-Varanasi.
How can you even compare Unnao and Unchahar to Lucknow and Varanasi?
Delhi-Moradabad-Lucknow-Varanasi-Ballia-Barauni is comparable in
distance to
Delhi-Kanpur-Mughalsarai-Patna-Barauni and definitely deserves a
superfast
train. It's just that the high-speed Delhi-Mughalsarai stretch makes
the
latter a much better choice for a Rajdhani.
Vijay
From: Jayant S <>
Subject: Re: Query: WAP 5
Date: 12 Jan 1999 18:19:21 -0500
> More to Jayant's query. Is this the new "Navyug" range of
Locos
> built with ABB technology. I just had a look at it in the rail mag.
It
> sure seems more "videshi" as far as looks are concerned. The livery
> seems o.k. If it is uniform for all the sheds that are going to
accquire
> them it would be good. Any idea which are the sheds that are fortunate
> enough to press them into service. I guess they were primarily meant
for
> long haul freight trains.
WAP would imply dedicated passenger service......
Are these the 6000hp locos from ABB ?
--
Jayant S : ID Studio : Tata Technologies India Limited
Telco Premises : Pimpri : PUNE : 411 018 : INDIA
TEL 91(20)702534 : FAX 91(20)773191
--
From: Jayant S <>
Subject: Re: new Rajdhani.
Date: 12 Jan 1999 18:22:53 -0500
> Note that Varanasi is one of the few major cities that does not have
an
> exclusive superfast train to Delhi (even Allahabad has one -
Could the Prayagraj Exp have been extended to Varanasi ?
> It is odd that Varanasi now gets its first direct train to
> Barauni/New Jalpaiguri/Guwahati but people have to pay higher fares
just
> because of the Rajdhani stamp.
Varanasi did have an MG train to Guwahati earlier via Barauni and
Siliguri...
> More importantly a Rajdhani/Shatabdi train should be introduced ONLY
if a
> regular superfast train cannot do the job. In other words, any
> Rajdhani/Shatabdi that does not go beyond 110 kmph. is a waste. This
> includes the following -
> Shatabdis: from Delhi to Ajmer, Dehra Dun,
The Dehra Dun Shatabdi is a joke. I've travelled on it.
What is the rationale behind the proliferation of Rajdhanis and
Shatabdis in recent years (aside from political compulsions, that is) ?
Is it that to introduce all-AC trains with a fare premium along
with inclusive meals and piped music is more renumerative for IR
in the climate of subsidy cuts, regardless of the fact that
operationally
many of them are no faster than normal superfast trains ?
My worry about the "dilution" of the Rajdhani and Shatabdi banners is
that the standards of service drop along with the prestige: this became
evident on Sunday last when I travelled NDLS-BCT. Service and
cleanliness were AWFUL.
--
Jayant S : ID Studio : Tata Technologies India Limited
Telco Premises : Pimpri : PUNE : 411 018 : INDIA
TEL 91(20)702534 : FAX 91(20)773191
--
From: Anne Ogborn <>
Subject: Re: WDM2 roof panels
Date: 12 Jan 1999 21:31:55 -0500
Shankar wrote:
>
> Hello,
> Diesel-freak and fellow Poona-wallah Apurva may well prove me wrong,
but
> I have seen a couple of WDM/2s under servicing at the massive Poona
> diesel shed.
> I could have sworn that the panels you refer to are HINGED.In fact,
they
> open out as trendy angular doors.
> As a matter of fact, access to the powerpak of the WDM/2 is quite
easy:
> eight small doors on the long hood, four large panels above that,
(each
> panel is the width of two doors), and these angular panels above that.
> If all the access doors are opened, the engine is almost stripped
> bare,and is a mere skeleton.
> Uno momento Apurva, let me duck under the table!
> BEst regards.
> Shankar
>
Thanks! That's great.
From what I can see from plans courtesy of KJ Walker and photos by
various IRFCAwallas,
the very top of the roof is a plain strip, apart from the exhaust stack
and the 3 engine water
boxes.
The radiator fan opening is screen that conforms to the roof contour. On
the short hood is
a slightly raised access hatch all the way across, the dynamic brake
blower outlet.
What does this look like? On the before mentioned picture, it looks
like a plain sheet metal
hatch, and it looks like it's open.
I'm getting very, very close to beginning to cut plastic for this
engine. 8^)
From: Apurva Bahadur <>
Subject: Re: A strange looking Loco!!
Date: 12 Jan 1999 21:37:01 -0500
Sachin, this is a modified WDM 2 with front view cab. The short hood
equipment (dynamic brake grid, dynamic brake blower and the brake
reservoirs) have been moved to the longer hood. Thus the front of the
loco
is flat (like a WAM 4, although not looking like a WAM 4). I have a
picture
of that loco somewhere in a back issue of the Indian Railway mag.
Although
the picture is about some train that was inaugurated rather than about a
special type of WDM 2, I am sure that this is the loco that you are
talking
about. It looks like a local shed modification job rather than a factory
finished product. I will scan and upload the pic when I can find that
issue of the IR mag.
Apurva
Sachin P Keshavan wrote:
> Hi all,
> During one of my trips home I found a strange looking loco pulling
the
> 6526 Island Exp. From the colour combination and the logo on the
engine
> I think it is from the KJM Division.
> This strange looking loco, had the short hood part removed. It
> resembled the front of a bus with two big wind screens and all. The
> driver's console was not placed in the side (as in other locos), but
> directly in front of him. The Assistant's console was sideways.
> I have only found this loco once, and nowhere else. Are these types
of
> locos used any where in India.
>
> Thanks,
> Sachin.
> *******************************************
> Sachin P Keshavan,
> E mail: sachin_pk@hotmail.email
> Pager: 9624 - 285433
> Phone: +91 - 80- 3314500
> Home page: <A HREF="http://209.67.19.99/~sachin_pk">http://209.67.19.99/~sachin_pk</A>
> -------------------------------------------
> When everything seems lost,
> Remember, future remains .....
> *******************************************
>
> ______________________________________________________
> Get Your Private, Free Email at <A HREF="http://www.hotmail.com">http://www.hotmail.com</A>
From: Dheeraj Sanghi <>
Subject: Re: new Rajdhani.
Date: 12 Jan 1999 21:37:27 -0500
> When they can introduce dozens of Rajdhanis and Shatabdis from Delhi
to
> every village in India, what's wrong if Varanasi gets a couple of
them.
I doubt if any city where existing Rajdhani/Shatabdis stop is as
small as Balia, but I agree that there has been a proliferation
of these trains, and many times the trains are hardly faster
than the existing Superfast trains on the route. For this reason,
I don't like Patna Rajdhani, and I don't like Bombay-Pune
Shatabdi. Even Dehradun and Chandigarh could have been served by
a superfast train at approximately the same speed as Shatabdi.
> Note that Varanasi is one of the few major cities that does not have
an
> exclusive superfast train to Delhi (even Allahabad has one - Prayagraj
Exp.)
> Don't you think Varanasi is important enough to have one?
Surely Varanasi should have a superfast express train. I won't
mind Varanasi getting a Rajdhani class train either (that
is the Varanasi being one end-point), if there is enough
business for that. My contention is only that for Rajdhani
class trains, one is trying to cater to long distance
(end-to-end) passengers, and delaying a vast majority of
passengers and overcharging them because of a couple of
passengers from an intermediate station is not acceptable.
Rajdhani type trains should cater to end-to-end passengers primarily.
Superfast trains should cater to important intermediate stations.
Express trains should cater to smaller intermediate cities.
Passenger trains should cater to every small station.
> Frankly, a Delhi-Guwahati train via Moradabad-Lucknow-Varanasi-Ballia
> is a good idea but a Rajdhani-type train is a waste. Since there
> is no high-speed section in this route a regular superfast train
> would have done the job. It is odd that Varanasi now gets its
> first direct train to Barauni/New Jalpaiguri/Guwahati but people
> have to pay higher fares just because of the Rajdhani stamp.
I still don't understand why one would be happy about Rajdhani
if one wants to go from Varanasi to NJP or any other city in
that direction. In Rajdhani, you can only buy ticket to Guwahati.
So the train is useless if you want to go to NJP from Varanasi.
(Unless you have loads of money and you don't mind paying fare
upto Guwahati and getting down in between.) Second, the chances
are that the Rajdhani will have a quota of 2 AC-1st class, 4
AC-2T, and 6 AC-3T berths from Varanasi, or some such number.
That means about 25 persons per week can go to Guwahati (and
nowhere else) in Rajdhani. Is it something to be very happy about.
If I were in Varanasi I would rather come to MGS and
catch North East Express at a more decent time
(8 PM or so) than catch Rajdhani past 1:00 AM.
> Adding halts to Rajdhani trains is "ok" if the station is big enough
to
> warrant a Rajdhani train. The Allahabad halt makes sense;
> the Mathura halt doesn't.
Well, if you really want to cater to a station, you should have a
decent quota from that station. Bhubaneshwar Rajdhani has a quota
of 2 AC-2T berths and 0 AC-1st class berths from Kanpur. Does it
really help people in Kanpur. The train does not exist for me.
I feel that most of the stops on Rajdhani are political stops,
and that is what I want to express my anger at. The new Rajdhani
seems to have the maximum number of political stops, and even
the route seems to be decided by political considerations rather
than by commercial considerations or keeping the interest of
passengers in mind.
> I tend to agree with you here. These two Rajdhanis deviate from the
> norm and are really meant for Bihar. IMHO, a better Rajdhani
connection
> would have been
N.Delhi-Kanpur-Lucknow-Varanasi-Dhanbad-Asansol-Howrah.
> Besides being faster than the N.Delhi-Howrah Rajdhani via Patna,
> it would connect more cities on its way.
As I said, I don't like Rajdhanis connecting more cities on its way,
with a quota of 2 berths from every city.
> More importantly a Rajdhani/Shatabdi train should be introduced
> ONLY if a regular superfast train cannot do the job. In other words,
> any Rajdhani/Shatabdi that does not go beyond 110 kmph. is a waste.
I agree. We do agree on a few things. :-)
> No, but IR believes that Delhi should have all these Rajdhanis and
Shatabdis
> whereas Mumbai, Calcutta and Chennai can make do with a few of them.
I agree that Rajdhani class trains should be there from other metros
as well, and not just Delhi.
> >There is no train
> > from Unnao and Unchahar also. May be Rajdhani should
> > go from Lucknow-Unnao-Unchahar-Allahabad-Varanasi.
>
> How can you even compare Unnao and Unchahar to Lucknow and Varanasi?
I am not comparing. I am only suggesting adding two more stops
to the new Rajdhani. And Unnao is a bigger town than Balia.
-dheeraj
--------------
Dr. Dheeraj Sanghi (0512) 59-7077/7638
(Off)
Dept. of Computer Science & Engineering (0512) 59-8627 (Res)
Indian Institute of Technology (0512) 59-0725/0413
(Fax)
Kanpur - 208 016 (UP), INDIA. dheeraj@iitk.email
Home Page: <A HREF="http://www.cse.iitk.ac.in/users/dheeraj">http://www.cse.iitk.ac.in/users/dheeraj</A>
From: Apurva Bahadur <>
Subject: Re: Golden Rock Locos and other liveried locos ...
Date: 12 Jan 1999 21:41:55 -0500
While I was drawing into the Mumbai CSTM on the Suburban Section
yesterday, I
saw an immaculate green and cream Jumbo (low nose) WDM 2 standing near
the
electric shed. The short hood was facing the Mumbai end and although the
loco
did not have any shed markings, I am quite sure that this was a Golden
Rock loco
which must have powered the KR 112 from Madgaon to Mumbai CSTM.
Apurva
Rajan Mathew wrote:
> Folks,
>
> I've even spotted golden rock locos in Mumbai drawing the Madgaon
Mumbai
> express and Ratnagiri Dadar passenger on a few occassions. Its colours
> definately stand out ...
>
> The Matsyagandha Express is regularly hauled by a ED Erode loco. The
> Netravati Express is normally hauled by Ernakulam locos. Ernakulam
locos are
> also painted differently with a dominating yellow and a design in
either
> bright red or green
From: Apurva Bahadur <>
Subject: Re: Jumbo WDM 2s
Date: 12 Jan 1999 21:56:07 -0500
> Hello,
> We've been through this before, but I think the Jumbos are a very
cruel
> joke played on the diesel drivers on the IR. I sometimes wonder how
the
> design engineers of a massive organization like the DLW can goof like
> that. (Most awfully sorry, Larry).
What Larry was talking about was yet ANOTHER variant which is not the
Low nosed
Jumbo - it is a WDM 2 with a proper comfort cab and a door in the nose.
I have
never seen this loco and never heard of this variant from anyone else.
Had this
info come from anyone else but a senior loco spotter like Larry, I would
have
had doubts about the sighting. But if Larry has seen it at Ahmedabad,
one needs
to make a trip to the Vatwa shed near ADI and maybe they have news on
this
loco.
> Driving was like
> peeping out of a ventilator, with a massive nose cavity at knee level.
> Its a wonder no jumbos crashed because the driver couldn't see well
> enough!
> Aesthetically though, they weren't bad.
I agree with you on that. I too have a soft corner for the Jumbo's short
hood.
All the DLW had to do was to redesign the cab layout (major changes) and
we
could have had a great loco. I have on three occasions footplated the
Jumbo
variant from Kurduwadi - Solapur (LH leading) and Solapur Pune with the
short
hood leading and this is a footplater's loco with its superb view (for
the
standing footplater of course). I realise that even when I doodle the
WDM 2,
the loco drawn is often the Jumbo variant. Of course driving this loco
is hell
for the drivers, either short hood or long hood leading.
Apurva
From: Apurva Bahadur <>
Subject: Re: WDM2 roof panels
Date: 12 Jan 1999 22:19:55 -0500
Shankar wrote:
> Hello,
> Diesel-freak and fellow Poona-wallah Apurva may well prove me wrong,
but
> I have seen a couple of WDM/2s under servicing at the massive Poona
> diesel shed.
> I could have sworn that the panels you refer to are HINGED.In fact,
they
> open out as trendy angular doors.
This is correct. The roof panels are opened only during servicing at the
shed, They are hinged and pushed upwards. The upper door panels do not
close
in the same level and hence lends to the rough look about them. The
hand
rail is used to get a grip when moving on the frame. Please note that
the
Indian locos have no waist height guard rail around the frame as found
on
the American locos.
I am sending a shot of a KJM WDM2 taken from a higher position as a
separate
email to Annie, It is the Udyan express power and the pic has been shot
by
our own dear Shankar (he is not aware that I have a collection of his
pictures as well). In that view the hinge line of the roof panels can be
seen clearly.
Apurva
From: Harsh Vardhan <>
Subject: Re: Query: WAP 5
Date: 12 Jan 1999 22:31:31 -0500
>While I do not know about the deployment of the WAG/9s
Most of these guys are based at Ghaziabad(GZB) and Kanpur(CNB) and haul
massive freight services on the New Delhi - Howrah trunk route. I've
seen
them often at Delhi and on my frequent visits to
Kanpur/Lucknow/Allahabad.
Some I think have been given to Mughal Sarai also lately.
Any more additions. Joydeep?
HARSH
From: Apurva Bahadur <>
Subject: [Fwd:
Date: 12 Jan 1999 23:02:13 -0500
Check out David's page
Apurva
From: Harsh Vardhan <>
Subject: Re: Jumbo WDM 2s
Date: 12 Jan 1999 23:41:08 -0500
>But alas, the engines were probably desined for US drivers.With the
>dimunitive frame of our desi drivers, the windshield used to start at
>forehead level.
I don't think the height alone was the factor in the crew's dislike for
the
the Jumbos coz that problem exists on all electric locos as well(other
than
the new ABB's). The fact that they were used to the comfortable driving
positions in the regular WDM2s had much say in their reflecting choices.
The
problem is that the sitting position is such that they can't fall
asleep.
WDM1s have been used succesfully and the Pakistani's use them on all
sorts
of treacherous routes till date.
Another uncanny aspect of the large windshield and the driver lurkin
like a
duck on the Indian railroads is the kind of imagination it generates for
all
sorts of people(demonstartors, rallyists, children or plain sadists)
standing besides the road with stones in their hands.
It is no wonder that all electric locos and Jumbos of course wear a
closely
knitted grill(closer still in North India) in front of the windshield.
At the height of the `Mandal Commision' riots in Delhi in 1991, a Jumbo
was
held up by the demonstrators on the tracks just adjecent to our house at
Lodi Colony. Since there were no panes to be broken(nothing else as
well),
they decided upon setting the loco afire. The diesel tank was was opened
and
a `dhoti'(long cloth) inserted and someone dropped a matchstick. Luckily
the
tank must've been near empty with vapours on top and all it produced was
a
loud bang with several smoke rings emerging from the tank. It was enough
to
scare the lot and in the meantime the police arrived as well in the end
just
like a Hindi film.
Iam sure all would like to know the fate of the crew. Well the Sardarji
driver from Ludhiana shed who had his hand cut and bleeding by one on
the
stones, was last seen joining the crowd, instigating them and telling
how to
damage the loco! Luckily he too did not know as well. Of such stuff are
the
DLW locomotives made of.
HARSH
From: Harsh Vardhan <>
Subject:
Date: 13 Jan 1999 01:00:59 -0500
>Do you have any information on the WDM1 17000 which was earmarked for
>preservation.
>
Still at Gorakhpur awaiting orders for moving(??!) whereabouts of which
are
to be decided.
>
>> I would also like to know where the first DLW made
>WDM2 18233 is at present.
>
No idea. Anybody ??
>DLW also plans to bring out a branch line diesel called WDL1. The new
3100
>h.p >engines are now designated as 251C.
>
All this is a great news to me.
> From the IRFCA mailing list I could make out
>that you like GM locos. Can you let me know any web site dedicated to
GM
>locos. I will visit DLW again when they start buliding the WDG4
(GTMAC46),
>4000hp GM locos. I came to knew from an U.S. diesel fan that during the
mid
>90s GE sales supassed that od GM -EMD and GM is now staging a comeback
with
>its MAC class of locos.
>
I like the WDM4 much(due to my footplating experiences on it at Lucknow)
because of the engine sounds(which is like a turbocharged jet engine
compared to the tractorlike sounds of Alco. I beg your pardon) and its
sleek
looks with radiators on top which can be said about the other EMD MG
locos
also
though the latter are very rare. I don't know if the current crop of GE
locos(minus EMD) have any similarity with these but in any case I'd like
to
see more colour and variety on Indian rails(than the monotonous WDM2s)
even
if it is diesels.
Can anyone guide us poor souls about GM-EMD(or evenGM-MAC) website?
HARSH
From: Apurva Bahadur <>
Subject: Re: new Rajdhani.
Date: 13 Jan 1999 01:46:26 -0500
> For this reason,
> I don't like Patna Rajdhani, and I don't like Bombay-Pune
> Shatabdi.
The Mumbai - Pune Shatabdi runs full now a days - the CR recently had to
add two
more chair cars to cope with the increased load. The two generator cars
running
full blast is a waste though.There is lot of passengers at Balia - the
freeloading
politicians want to get on/off :-)
Apurva
From: Apurva Bahadur <>
Subject: Re: WDM2 roof panels
Date: 13 Jan 1999 01:50:55 -0500
Anne Ogborn wrote:
> > I am sending a shot of a KJM WDM2 taken from a higher position as a
separate
> > email to Annie, It is the Udyan express power and the pic has been
shot by
> > our own dear Shankar (he is not aware that I have a collection of
his
> > pictures as well). In that view the hinge line of the roof panels
can be
> > seen clearly.
> >
> > Apurva
>
> Much thanks to Shankar for taking this pic and Apurva for sending it.
>
> I can now clearly see the top. For any breathlessly following this
> thread, the panels under discussion come up to a slightly raised flat
> section (Apurva's "hinge line"), that's a single continuous piece
along the roof.
>
> Dynamic brake blower exhaust is covered by 3 section screen.
>
> Shankar, would you mind if I posted this photo, so all could see and
> appreciate?
>
> I notice that the handrail is broken only for the first of the panels.
> does it have to be dismounted to open the others?
Nothing like that - the handrail per panel section is separate and not
connected to
each other.Shankar's pic is already on the internet on Sundar
Krishnamurthy's site.
Sundar's site address can be found on Steve Brown's link page. Life is
quite
complicated.
Apurva
From: Apurva Bahadur <>
Subject: Re: Query: WAP 5
Date: 13 Jan 1999 02:26:34 -0500
I cannot wait to tell you gang until I write my Wankaner trip report
and webpage - I saw a WAG 7 (with the red and white stripes on the
face)
hauling a NBOX rake towards Sabarmati yard outside Ahmedabad at
around 0200 hours on Sunday, when it was moving slowly parallel to
our 9017 Saurashtra Junta. This loco had two small sealed headlights
rather than the large single item. I am not sure about the home shed
(may be BRC - does ADI have an electric shed ?)
but the two lamp shows that the IR is now serious about getting rid
of the single large lamp for the international standard twin sealed
beam
assembly. Any more sightings of locos with twin sealed beam
headlights. I know the ABB locos have them as well as the new WDP
2s. Any more ? Possibly CLW is now making newer locos with twin
headlamps and the sheds doing major overhauls are retrofitting these
lamps. The Indian locos now would look even better sporting these
two small lamps.
I also saw WCAM2s on the WR marked as 'Air Brakes only' but having
both types of brake hoses. One loco was hauling the MCT - ADI
Shatabdi which was waiting at Valsad when our 9032 Kutch Express
crossed it.
We also saw a YDM 1 diesel hydraulic at Gandhidham - oops I am
already saying too much. Wait for my tour report.
Apurva
Harsh Vardhan wrote:
> >While I do not know about the deployment of the WAG/9s
>
> Most of these guys are based at Ghaziabad(GZB) and Kanpur(CNB) and
haul
> massive freight services on the New Delhi - Howrah trunk route. I've
seen
> them often at Delhi and on my frequent visits to
Kanpur/Lucknow/Allahabad.
> Some I think have been given to Mughal Sarai also lately.
>
> Any more additions. Joydeep?
>
> HARSH
From: Apurva Bahadur <>
Subject: Re: Axle Brush and Indian Loco
Date: 13 Jan 1999 02:40:39 -0500
prakash@us.email wrote:
> Folks,
>
> Apurva, Sarosh and Viraf have already started their trip
> to Wankaner so update on this topic at this time may not
> be appropriate (since Apurva is investigating this issue).
> Anyway here are my two cents.
>
> American locomotive traction motors differ from many
> European and Japanese motors in one aspect. All American
> motors are pivoted on axles on one end and the other end
> is attached to the truck. This eliminates the need of
> axle brushes.
The issue is not of the return path of motor current. It is of the
primary loop of OHE, Panto, EHT switchgear, transformer primary (25
Kv side), the frame of the loco - wheels and finally to the rails.
How does the 25 Kv loop return from a static frame to the rotating
wheels ? I am quite sure that Axle brushes must be present in any
electric loco. The diesel locos have no such need as there is no
current required to be returned to the rails. As Dr. Ken pointed
out there are bound to be sliprings which have hardly any wear or
arcing to transfer heavy currents from the frame to the wheels.Only
in the DC locos and the EMUs that the pantograph has a link to the
motors directly, all the AC loco motors must be fed from the
transformer secondary - rectifier and motors. Thus the path of the
motor return current is via the rectifier to the transformer
secondary windings.
Apurva